re introduction

[corene1]

Just wanted to drop in and say hello. I have been absent on the forums for awhile but I am getting things ready to get back into the distilling game. Not much on the scientific end but I am a pretty good fabricator. I have simplified my equipment for all of it to be interchangeable. I have a 25,15 and 12 gallon boilers that I can set up as any boiler and thumper combination or I can use any of them as a single boiler with a pot still head or 1 to 4 modular plates and I am working on building packed column for neutrals. I just finished building my Graham condenser.. It is 5 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall but has 10 full feet of 1/2 inch coper tubing inside of it. I have found this set up to be very good using minimal amounts of water for cooling. I have also built myself a nice 50 gallon mash tun with a false bottom and an agitator for those pesky all grain mash cooks. I used an old 300 RPM cement mixer motor for the agitator motor and built a clamp that will attach it to the tun or it can be removed.
I finally have some nice whiskies that are about 5 years old that suit my taste just fine. One is basically a whisky mash using corn, oats, malted red wheat, and malted barley. The other is a Rumsky aged on oak and made from the same grain bill. I simply make the whisky mash then drain using the false bottom for my whisky ferment then refill the tun with water re heat and drain off all the left over sugars from the grain mash and add molasses for a second wash. So essentially 2 ferments from a single cook. Then save all the feints for an all feints run to make a basic neutral for making flavored drinks. Trying to keep everything simple as I get older. Looking forward to reconnecting with folks here and getting to know the new folk as well.

[NZChris]

Welcome back. I had noticed your absence and it's nice to know you're doing well.

Cheers
Chris

[Deplorable]

Good to see you back!

[Twisted Brick]

Welcome Corene! Glad to see you back distilling.

[Saltbush Bill]

Welcome back Corene.
I for one have always enjoyed your posts and found them very informative.
Are there any build threads on the horizon?

[Oatmeal]

Would love to see a picture of that condenser!

[BlackStrap]

Welcome back Corene...
It's always good to see your ideas come to life.
Please post up some pics of your setup.

[Bushman]

Would love to see a picture of that condenser!

Welcome back and I second the pictures. You always have good advice when talking about fabrication as well as process. Looking forward to your posts.

[Yummyrum]

Nice to see you back Corene . You don’t need to re - welcome ….anytime you come back is a welcome time .

Anyway , miss you posts.

[HDNB]

welcome back Corene, i thought about you the other day, with reports of fires near your area. i hope the smoke and flames avoided you by a big margin.

[OtisT]

Welcome back Corene. Can’t wait to see what you will make next after all this time off.

Otis

[corene1]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes, it certainly has been awhile. We are fortunate here that the fires have not come close to us but the smoke and ash has been very bad. Weather is finally back in the mid eighties so fermenting will not be a big problem as it was when we were constantly in the 100 + range. I am really not planning any big builds but rather to clean up and simplify my processes. It seems time and arthritis is taking it's toll on me. I was fortunate enough to find four 15.5 gallon kegs, one was a bit damaged on the bottom so I replaced the bottom and it is now a 12 gallon keg. The perks for a son that works for the waste company here. I still am computer illiterate , but will attempt to get some pictures of my projects. I guess someday I will have to update to the 21st century and get one of those fancy cell phones with the camera in them, but I would probably break it. The Graham condenser came out pretty nice but I am still not one for external polishing and glitz. Making the 1/2 inch coil was a bit of a challenge but after a couple of tries it looks nice. Next weekend I am planning on rebuilding all my stands to work better together and will make the adjustable stand for my new condenser . It has to be adjustable up and down to accommodate all he different heights that I may encounter with different combinations of still heads . I was thinking of adding in a small section of flexible 3/4 inch copper tubing with unions on both ends to make line up a bit easier. Just thinking out loud I guess. I plan on incorporating a few transfer pumps to help eliminate a lot of the bucket type transfers. Right now I have one that goes from the fermenters to the boiler and it is really convenient. Hook up the hose and flip a switch , Perfect! Work smarter not harder , right? I did receive an e-mail from Jimbo the other day . Seems he is still at it and doing well. Guess we will all just keep putting one foot in front of the other and move forward . Maybe just a little slower.

[Windy City]

Really glad to see you back
You are right, the older we get the more we appreciate pumps

[still_stirrin]

I, for one, have missed you. When I joined the forum, you very active and a major influence on my processes. So, not only am I glad you're back with us, but I am confident there are a lot of new members who will benefit from your knowledge and skills.

Cheers, Corene.
ss

[The Baker]

And thanks for all the advice you have given me.

Good to hear from you again.
I will be interested to hear more about your set up; I also need to include some extra features (pre-heater? thumper?)
and find the idea of connecting them up to be a bit daunting.
And pumps instead of buckets? Yes!
I am getting a dicky knee...

Geoff

[MichiganCornhusker]

Nice to see you back on the forum, Always welcome

[Tater]

Hey there gal welcome back

[FLOB]

I don’t post too much but have been reading the forum for a while. Got several of your posts bookmarked. Nice to see you back.

[Oldvine Zin]

And another Welcome Back!!

[Ben]

Welcome back!

[LWTCS]

Re-welcome Corene.
Good that you are well.